Alice in Chains rekindles power of old

By GENE STOUT, P-I POP MUSIC CRITIC

Published 10:00 pm, Sunday, November 26, 2006

Unchained at last.

Playing to a capacity crowd Friday night at the Paramount Theatre, Seattle rock band Alice in Chains offered hometown fans a blast of old-school grunge that recalled the group's glory days on the Seattle scene.

With singer William DuVall filling in for the late Layne Staley, the four-member band powered through its prolific repertoire, performing such songs as "Grind," "Dam That River," "Rain When I Die" and "Rooster."

The concert was part of a fall reunion tour that concludes Tuesday night at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.

Longtime fans were clearly thrilled to see the iconic Seattle band back on a hometown stage, even if Staley's absence was a bit strange and indeed very sad. Nevertheless, DuVall proved a formidable frontman capable of performing Staley's vocal parts with remarkable skill -- and without overplaying his role.

Though Staley's forlorn wail is impossible to duplicate, DuVall's vocals rang true, his range was impressive, and his ability to duet with singer-guitarist Jerry Cantrell was amazing.

Alice in Chains -- featuring DuVall, Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney -- took the stage after a set by Virginia-based rock band Hurt.

The sense of anticipation for Alice in Chains among hometown fans finally exploded into a collective howl when the foursome took the stage. The concert included a video tribute to Staley, a somber acoustic set; and a guest appearance by Ann Wilson of Heart on the song "Brother" (reprising her guest role on the band's "Sap" EP.) Visual effects included images of skulls and eyeballs, as well as six lighted boxes for the acoustic set, which featured songs such as "No Excuses" and "Down in a Hole."

The final segment was a four-star firestorm that featured such songs as "Man in the Box" and "Heaven Beside You." The show concluded with a blistering encore of "Rooster" and "Would?"

After the show ended, Kinney tossed drumsticks to eager fans while Cantrell simply told them, "It's good to be back."